PWE – Chapter 103 She lost some memories

“Master, you don’t recognize me anymore? Why? Master, I need your help right now—I beg you, please help me.”

As he spoke, Acai began chanting another incantation, forcibly summoning the mirror figure’s avatar out of the mirror.

Acai said, “Master, you taught me this secret technique yourself. You said that if I ever encountered trouble I couldn’t resolve, I could summon you to help me. Master, could it be that you’re angry because I summoned you so suddenly, and that’s why you don’t want to acknowledge me? But Master, you personally promised that you would help me when I ran into trouble—you can’t abandon me!”

Acai spoke with a look of deep heartbreak, sounding extremely aggrieved.

The figure in the mirror was furious.

He flicked his sleeve, and a powerful gust of wind swept toward Acai. “Nonsense! I’m not so senile that I wouldn’t know whether I’ve taken a disciple! You’re impersonating my disciple—what exactly are you up to?!”

Xiao Wange looked at Acai. What Acai had just said seemed to be directed at the mirror figure, but she felt it was more like he was saying it for her benefit.

It was as if he wanted her to believe that he truly was the mirror figure’s disciple.

After staring at Acai for a few moments, Xiao Wange said, “Although I dislike this person who keeps appearing from mirrors, this time, I’m on his side. Acai, I suspect you do have a master—but your master is definitely not this sky-blue-eyed man before us! Pretending to be his disciple is merely your way of hiding your real master. But Acai, no one here is a fool, so you can stop playing such tricks now.”

Hearing this, Acai’s heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.

Still, he stiffened his neck and pointed at the mirror figure. “I am his disciple! He taught me spells and even told me to abduct these children for his use. These children weren’t taken to be sold—they were offerings for him to eat! He’s been cultivating an evil technique recently, and that technique requires forty-nine children. I—”

“Forty-nine?” Xiao Wange’s voice sank, her gaze icy as she stared at Acai. “I didn’t expect your appetite to be so huge!”

Without waiting for him to reply, she continued, “What you just said only makes me more certain that you’re not his disciple. Since when does a disciple so easily expose what his own master has done? Since when does a disciple point at his master’s nose while speaking? There isn’t the slightest trace of respect for this ‘master’ in your words, yet you still claim to be his disciple? Hah—who do you think you’re fooling?!”

Acai: “……”

His pupils contracted. He was left speechless.

He pressed his lips together. He had indeed been too eager just now—too eager to make everyone believe that the man was his master.

Sometimes, being too anxious only produces the opposite effect.

He suddenly felt deep regret—regret that he had rushed things like that.

At that moment, the mirror figure suddenly grabbed Acai by the throat, staring at him coldly. “Speak. Who is your real master? Why would he have you frame me like this?!”

Acai’s face flushed red as he was choked, his breathing instantly becoming labored.

Seeing his son being strangled, the old man’s heart tightened. He rushed toward the mirror figure, trying to shove him away. “Let go of my son!”

But before he could reach him, the mirror figure flicked his sleeve again. A sleeve-wind lashed out violently, sending the old man flying. With a dull thud, he slammed into a rock not far away.

That rock had a sharp edge. It pierced through the old man’s chest, and he stopped breathing instantly.

Seeing this, Acai’s eyes flew wide open. He stared at his father for a few moments, madness suddenly surfacing in his gaze. “Dad! Dad!”

After calling out several times, he suddenly twisted his head around and glared at the mirror figure with crazed hatred. “You killed my dad! You killed my dad! I want you to pay with your life—I want you to pay for him!”

The mirror figure snorted disdainfully. “You? You think someone like you can make me pay with my life? You’d better think first about whether you can even survive!”

As he spoke, he tightened his grip, strangling Acai even more viciously.

Acai’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. After glaring at the mirror figure a few times in fury, he suddenly muttered something. Then his soul burst out of his body, radiating dense black qi—the soul was clearly steeped in baleful energy.

Acai’s soul suddenly ignited, and the blazing soul swept violently toward the mirror figure, trying to burn him to death along with itself.

But…

The mirror figure flew backward several meters, raised his hand, and cast a spell. The flames on Acai’s soul were instantly extinguished.

However, Acai’s soul was already badly shattered.

He screamed hysterically, “Die! Die already!”

He tried to do something more, but suddenly a talisman imprint appeared on his soul. Blue flames burst into life across it.

In the blink of an eye, those blue flames completely incinerated Acai’s soul, reducing him to nothing—utter annihilation.

Xiao Wange frowned deeply.

That talisman imprint had clearly been secretly placed on Acai’s soul by someone—perhaps even without Acai himself knowing.

The person who had planted that imprint must be Acai’s true master.

And that master was ruthless to the extreme—so ruthless that he didn’t even spare his own disciple, forcing him into complete annihilation.

Seeing Acai’s soul dissipate like that, the mirror figure’s gaze sharpened slightly, his hand at his side clenching tightly.

He suddenly grabbed Acai’s corpse and examined it carefully from head to toe.

After finishing the inspection, he suddenly laughed, his tone full of mockery. “So it was you! So the real master of this mortal was you!”

He had found some subtle traces on the mortal’s body—traces that pointed precisely to someone he had once known.

It had been a long time since he last saw that person. He had thought that person was already dead, that he had long since been drowned in the river of history.

He never expected him to still exist—nor to scheme against him like this.

He recalled how, in the past, that person had schemed against him in the same way. Whenever he committed evil deeds, the blame would fall on him—and on another person as well.

He and that other person had taken the blame for many of this man’s crimes.

He had believed that the other person had already killed this bastard. Who would have thought that he was still alive and well?

But if this bastard was still alive, then where was the other person now?

Meanwhile, hearing the mirror figure’s words, Xiao Wange’s expression sharpened.

She looked at him and said, “You know Acai’s master? If you know him, then you—”

“You know him too,” the mirror figure interrupted her, looking at her with mocking eyes. “We were all old acquaintances back then.”

Xiao Wange froze slightly. “I know him too?”

She bent down and carefully examined Acai’s corpse, hoping to find some clues like the mirror figure had.

But unfortunately, she found nothing. The only thing she discovered was that Acai had long been seriously ill. His illness had merely been suppressed by some spell, allowing him to live until now.

Seeing her like this, the mirror figure narrowed his eyes in surprise. “You didn’t realize that this mortal’s master was him? Could it be that you… have forgotten him too?”

Xiao Wange: “……”

She straightened up, her gaze fixed steadily on the mirror figure.

She was about to say something, when the mirror figure laughed again and continued, “You’ve lost your memory—you really have lost your memory! Not only did you forget me, you forgot him too. Heh, who would have thought you’d lose your memory? Who would have thought you’d end up like this one day? Truly unexpected—utterly unexpected!”

His cold, mocking words made Xiao Wange extremely displeased.

She slowly raised her hand. A strand of golden light rapidly condensed at her fingertips.

If that light were released, it would turn into sharp blades—blades that could kill in an instant.

Seeing her movements, the mirror figure sneered. “What, are you angry out of embarrassment? You lost your memory—that’s just the truth. Am I not even allowed to say it? Still, I really want to know why you lost your memory. Did you seal it yourself, or did the Heavenly Dao… erase it for you?”

Xiao Wange: “……”

She narrowed her eyes, and the light in her hand shot toward the mirror figure at lightning speed.

Midair, it transformed into blade after blade, each one gleaming with terrifying cold light—so sharp it made one shudder.

The mirror figure’s gaze darkened. As he turned into a wisp of smoke and retreated, he mocked, “I really enjoy seeing you like this—amnesiac. Watching you recognize no one, watching you stand there in confusion—it’s truly amusing.”

Xiao Wange stared at the smoke, her eyes turning icy to the extreme. She moved to chase him—

But at that moment, a child began to cry.

The child was crying from hunger. Ever since being abducted and brought here, he had barely eaten anything. He was starving—truly starving.

Once he cried, the other children began crying as well.

The noisy chorus of children’s cries instantly stopped Xiao Wange in her tracks.

She turned and glanced several times in the direction where the mirror figure had vanished. Clenching her fist tightly, her eyes flashed coldly.

There would be plenty of time. One day, she would catch that bastard and force him to explain everything!

She turned to the director and Captain Fang. “Take the children back first. They haven’t eaten or slept properly here and have been badly frightened. Bring them back and comfort them first.”

The director nodded. “Comrade Xiao is right. Let’s take the children back immediately.”

As he spoke, he ordered his subordinates to arrange for the children to get into the police cars.

Fortunately, there were enough police cars; otherwise, there wouldn’t have been enough space for so many children.

Zhaozhao stood beside his mother. He suddenly tugged at her sleeve, looked up at her, and said, “Mom, you’ll remember eventually. One day, you’ll remember everything.”

As he spoke, he grinned, giving her an innocent smile.

Seeing her child’s smile, the gloom in Xiao Wange’s heart dissipated considerably.

She patted his head and smiled back at him. “Mm, Zhaozhao is right. Mom will remember—sooner or later.”

She had suspected before that she might have lost her memory, but back then, she felt it was impossible.

She had believed her memories were complete, without a single gap.

But now… she wasn’t so sure anymore.

She felt that perhaps she truly had lost her memory—perhaps she really had forgotten some people, and some things.

The director glanced at Zhaozhao and suddenly smiled at Xiao Wange. “Comrade Xiao, your child has seen the world. He was very calm just now—calmer than even us.”

When that fierce ghost appeared earlier, even he had panicked.

But this child had stood there calmly, without the slightest trace of fear on his face.

He had truly been shocked. A child so young should have been trembling in fear—but he wasn’t at all.

Xiao Wange picked Zhaozhao up, her eyes gentle as she looked at him. She replied, “Yes. My son has seen these things often with me, so now he can stay calm even when faced with frightening sights.”

The director quickly praised him. “Comrade Xiao’s child will surely become someone extraordinary in the future—he’ll definitely achieve great things.”

Xiao Wange smiled but didn’t reply.

She didn’t wish for her child to be extraordinary. She only hoped that he would live safely and peacefully.

But Zhaozhao was destined to be anything but ordinary—because some things are simply predetermined at birth.

……

Back at the bureau.

Xiao Wange carried Zhaozhao at the front, with the director, Captain Fang, and the others following behind.

Zhu Qiaoyu was sitting at her desk. When she saw Xiao Wange return, she jumped up and rushed over. “Xiao Wange, you still dare to come back! I’m telling you—how dare you curse my family! I won’t let this go!”

Zhu Qiaoyu bared her teeth, her slightly plump face full of rage, as if she wanted to tear Xiao Wange apart.

Xiao Wange curled her lips into a mocking smile. “I wasn’t wrong. Your family really is facing a calamity—and it’s one you brought upon yourselves. To be able to cause your own family an unavoidable disaster… you’re quite something.”

“Xiao Wange, shut up!” Zhu Qiaoyu charged up to her, reaching out to strike her.

The director’s face darkened. He immediately stopped Zhu Qiaoyu and barked, “Zhu Qiaoyu, what are you doing?! Who gave you permission to behave so wildly in the bureau?!”

The director utterly despised Zhu Qiaoyu. She had no ability whatsoever and was useless at work, yet she was arrogant and loved bullying junior officers. If it weren’t for her background, he would have kicked her out long ago. Just looking at her made his eyes ache.

“Director, how can you say I’m being unruly? Didn’t you hear Xiao Wange curse my family? She cursed my family with misfortune! Director, if my father heard this, what do you think he’d say?”

Zhu Qiaoyu dragged her father into it, trying to use him to pressure the director.

The director’s expression turned cold. He clenched his fist and said slowly, “Then go tell your father. Let’s see how he reacts.”

Zhu Qiaoyu: “……”

She was stunned. She hadn’t expected the director to respond like that. She had thought he’d be too scared to say anything.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wange carried Zhaozhao to a chair, sat down slowly, and said, “Comrade, you lost the bet. Even for the sake of the wager, I had to come back. You can’t renege on it. Of course, even if you wanted to, you wouldn’t be able to in front of me.”

Zhu Qiaoyu’s eyes widened. “What did you say? You say I lost the bet? Hah—how is that possible? You, a street con artist, want to beat me? Dream on—”

“Daddy! Mommy!” a child suddenly cried as he ran in from outside.

He rushed straight toward his parents in the bureau, calling out excitedly.

Then, one after another, more than a dozen children ran in.

They all rushed into their parents’ arms, hugging them tightly in excitement.

The officers who had stayed behind reported to the director, “Director, shortly after you left, more people came to report their children missing. I was worried about where these newly missing children might be. I didn’t expect you to bring them all back together. That’s great—now there are no more missing children.”

All the missing children were here now. Seeing them reunited with their parents, everyone felt happy—and more than that, relieved.

If the children hadn’t been found, they would have had to keep searching. And if too much time passed, they might have only found bodies.

The director looked at the children, then turned to Xiao Wange. “We truly owe today’s success to Comrade Xiao. Without her, we still wouldn’t know where these children were. Comrade Xiao, thank you.”

Xiao Wange smiled lightly. “You’re too kind, Director. I’m happy I could help.”

The other officers stepped forward to thank her as well—she had done the bureau a huge favor today.

The children’s parents also came forward with their kids to thank her.

Seeing their overwhelming gratitude, Xiao Wange’s smile deepened. “There’s no need for thanks. It’s enough that the children are back. Now that they’re back, you can—”

“Director!” Zhu Qiaoyu interrupted sharply.

She glared at Xiao Wange and said angrily to the director, “These children were clearly found by our police officers! How can you say Xiao Wange found them? She’s just a fraud! A fraud! How can you be fooled by her and let her lead you by the nose?!”

Seeing everyone shower Xiao Wange with gratitude made Zhu Qiaoyu furious.

A mere fraud—what right did she have to receive thanks and praise? Someone like her should be beaten out with sticks—or better yet, handcuffed and thrown into prison!

Her words darkened everyone’s expressions—even the parents looked at her with displeasure.

She wore a police uniform—was she really an officer?

Judging by how she spoke, she didn’t even seem like a decent human being.

How did the county police bureau let someone like this in?

The director’s face turned iron-blue. He snapped, “Zhu Qiaoyu, watch your words! Don’t act like this bureau belongs to your family! Yes, your father is a high official, powerful enough to crush people—but that doesn’t give you the right to bully others! Today’s outcome was thanks to Comrade Xiao, whether you admit it or not!”

“Director, you—”

“You want to use your father’s status to erase Comrade Xiao’s contribution and force everyone to agree with you, is that it? Too bad—that won’t happen! As the director, I will never allow such a thing. Even if your father comes personally, I will still say that this was Comrade Xiao’s achievement. No one is allowed to erase her contribution!”

He spoke each word forcefully, his voice filled with righteous anger.

The surrounding officers and parents applauded in agreement.

One pair of parents said, “Director, we support you. We must be fair and factual—we can’t erase someone’s deeds just because another person holds office. Even if that high official really comes, we’ll testify too. This is Comrade Xiao’s merit.”

“Yes! We’ll testify as well. I don’t believe that a high official would dare oppose so many ordinary people just for his daughter. I don’t believe there’s no justice in this world!” another couple declared passionately.

One pair of parents looked at Zhu Qiaoyu and asked directly, “Comrade, may we ask where your father is an official? What is his name?”

Zhu Qiaoyu glared at them. “Why are you asking that?!”

They replied calmly, “We happen to have a relative who’s an official in the capital—a very high-ranking one. We plan to report this properly and ask higher authorities to send people down to investigate. To prevent some people from abusing power to stuff their useless daughters into public offices.”

Zhu Qiaoyu clearly got in through connections—using her father’s power.

People like this should be dealt with. When incompetent people occupy important positions, capable people are blocked out.

Hearing this, Zhu Qiaoyu panicked inwardly, a trace of unease flashing across her face.

But in the next instant, she forced a calm expression. “Oh? You have a relative who’s a big official in the capital? Hah—who are you trying to fool? If that were true, would you still be here? People brag about anything these days. Aren’t you afraid of bursting your own bubble and embarrassing yourselves?”

She sized the parents up. They were plainly dressed—clearly not wealthy.

If they truly had such powerful relatives, they would have risen long ago. How could they still be living modestly in a county town?

She was convinced they were just trying to back Xiao Wange and scare her.

But she wasn’t easily frightened!

The parents merely smiled and didn’t bother responding. This female officer clearly wasn’t very bright—and yet loved to be arrogant. Such a person truly didn’t belong in the bureau.

They quietly decided that once they got home, they would contact their relative in the capital.

Seeing them ignore her, Zhu Qiaoyu thought she’d hit the mark and that they were feeling guilty.

She immediately smiled arrogantly, her demeanor extremely haughty.

Xiao Wange looked at her and suddenly raised her brows with a smile. “Comrade, shouldn’t we fulfill our bet properly now? You said that if I won, you’d take off your head and let me kick it like a ball. Now that I’ve won, shouldn’t you honor the wager?”

The officers who disliked Zhu Qiaoyu all watched with interest. Let’s see how she gets out of this.

Zhu Qiaoyu frowned and glared at Xiao Wange. “How did you win? These children were found by our police bureau—this has nothing to do with you! Stop flattering yourself—you don’t have that ability!”

Everyone: “……” She was clearly determined to erase Comrade Xiao’s contribution—determined to renege.

The director wanted to speak up for Xiao Wange, but she spoke first. “Comrade, I won’t take credit that isn’t mine. But you—don’t thicken your skin too much. When it gets that thick, it’s just shameless.”

“You—”

“Forget it. I won’t ask you to remove your head. I don’t want to see such a bloody scene anyway. How about this—you kowtow to me ten times. Ten kowtows will settle the bet.”

She spoke slowly, her gaze fixed intently on Zhu Qiaoyu.

Zhu Qiaoyu’s face flushed red with rage. Gritting her teeth, she shouted, “In your dreams! You want me to kowtow to a fraud? Dream on!”

Before she could finish, Xiao Wange cast a spell. It struck Zhu Qiaoyu’s knees, forcing her to drop to the ground.

“I told you—trying to renege in front of me is impossible.”

Zhu Qiaoyu felt as if knives were stabbing into her knees—agonizing pain.

She looked up at Xiao Wange through clenched teeth. “What did you do to me?”

As she tried to stand, a hand suddenly pressed down on her head, smashing it into the floor with a heavy thud.

Xiao Wange had released the Hungry Ghost.

Fearing it would frighten everyone, she had cast a spell to make its form invisible.

“One kowtow down. Nine more to go. Keep going,” Xiao Wange said lazily, a casual smile on her face.

The smile was gentle—but it inspired awe in everyone watching.

She sat there without lifting a finger, yet Zhu Qiaoyu was kneeling and kowtowing. Comrade Xiao was truly formidable.

The Hungry Ghost pressed Zhu Qiaoyu’s head down again and again.

Each strike hit hard, making loud thuds.

Zhu Qiaoyu was furious—and terrified.

She could clearly feel a hand pressing her head, yet when she turned to look, she saw nothing at all.